System for rapid generation of useful steam

ABSTRACT

A method for rapidly generating useful pressure on demand by flash-boiling a liquid within a container by the use of a super-heated object.

BACKGROUND

Those familiar with the history of projectile weaponry will recall archaeological evidence of a steam cannon employed by Archimedes at the siege of Syracuse in the Second Punic War, as well as the World War Two-era Holman Projector used to launch grenades against low-flying aircraft. The shortcoming of steam projectile systems that has led them to be entirely replaced by chemically propelled projectiles is that steam must be produced in a boiler, requiring a substantial amount of equipment and infrastructure to heat water into steam and then transfer it to the weapon that will use it, building up pressure relatively slowly.

It is well known that steel foundry explosions can occur when pipes meant for carrying molten metal have been washed out, and molten metal comes in contact with a small amount of remaining water. The water flashes to steam rapidly because of the high temperature of the molten metal, quickly builds up pressure within the pipes, and explodes. Water expands roughly 1600 times its volume at atmospheric pressure when it boils into steam, making these foundry explosions exceptionally powerful. These are rapid and hard to stop because the water flash boils due to its rapid exposure to super-heated material. The rate of boiling depends both on the surrounding pressure and on the temperature of the hot object that causes the boiling, the hotter the object the faster the boil.

This invention generates steam in a rapid and controllable way, suitable for modern mechanical applications such as projectile weapons and pistons. It accomplishes this by superheating an object and then exposing it to water (or another liquid suitable to be flash-boiled) to rapidly generate steam on demand, which can then be captured or directed to accomplish mechanical tasks.

SUMMARY

The invention is a system with a container in which a super-heated object (such as tungsten rod or honeycomb) can be combined with a fluid (such as water) in order to rapidly generate pressure by flash boiling. This steam (or gas form of another boiled liquid) can then be used to accomplish whatever mechanical goal the system is configured as a pressure source for, such as driving a piston, moving a projectile, or exploding.

PRIOR ART

A search of prior U.S. patents reveals numerous patents for how to use steam pressure and how to generate steam pressure. We have found no prior art, either in patent history or in non-patent literature, that generates steam pressure by flash-boiling liquids by exposure to a super-heated object. Certain non-patent literature, appearing below, is helpful in establishing the validity of the principles of the invention.

RELEVANT NON-PATENT LITERATURE DOCUMENTS

-   LIND, L. J. “The Holman Projector,” Naval Historical Review, 1976     edition, September 1976. Print. -   HANSEN, David M. “Zalinksi's Dynamite Gun,” Technology and Culture,     vol. 25, No. 2., April, 1984. Print. -   DUFEK, J. “Littoral blasts: Pumice-water heat transfer and the     conditions for steam explosions when pyroclastic flows enter the     ocean,” Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 112,     issue B11, 16 Nov., 2007. Print. -   Schmidt, E.; Grigull, U. Zustandsgroessen von Wasser und Wasserdampf     in SI-Einheiten; Including a Mollier h,s-diagram and a T,s-diagram.     Berlin (Germany, F.R.): Springer, 1989. Print.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In Illustration A, FIGS. I, II, and III, Item a is a super-heated object, Item b is a fluid such as water, Item c is a closed container, Item d is a pressure gauge (for illustrative purposes, not a claimed component), Item e is a means of releasing pressure (in this case a valve, not claimed), Item f is the expanding gaseous form of the flash-boiled liquid, Item g is a possible mechanical application of the pressure (in this case, a projectile). FIG. I shows a closed container with a super-heated object and a fluid within the container. In FIG. II, a super-heated object and a fluid are brought together resulting in the fluid flash boiling and rapidly generating pressure, contained within the container. The pressure gauge in FIG. II shows the rapid increase in pressure. FIGURE III shows a release of pressure through the example valve, accomplishing a mechanical goal (the launch of a projectile), and alleviating the pressure inside the chamber (as shown by the gauge returning to rest).

In Illustration B, FIGURES I, II, and III, Item a is a super-heated object, Item b is a fluid such as water, Item c is a container that partly but does not totally contain pressure generated by flash-boiling of the fluid, Item d is an object upon which pressure may act, Item e is the expanding gaseous form of the flash-boiled liquid, and Item f is a displacement of Item d by the expanding gas. FIG. I shows a container—such as a piston cylinder or cannon barrel—with a super-heated object and a fluid within the container, to be brought together. In FIGURE II, the super-heated object and the fluid are brought together resulting in the fluid flash boiling and rapidly expanding. FIG. III shows the expansion of the gaseous form of the fluid performing mechanical work upon an object.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A system comprising a container, with two reacting parts. The parts are a super-heated object (such as an inductively heated tungsten rod, given as an example for its desirably high melting point of 3422° Celsius, approximately 34 times the boiling point of water), and a liquid which expands substantially when boiled (such as water, given as an example for its temperature-dependent rate of expansion into steam and 1:1600 liquid to gas ratio). The two parts are brought together within the container to rapidly and without the aid of any explosives or pre-existing high pressure reservoir produce a useful increase in pressure suitable for accomplishing mechanical goals.

Advantages

The main advantage of the invention is that it generates pressure extremely rapidly. This is beyond the capability of conventional boiler-fired systems heating liquids (for the sake of simplicity into “steam”). The invention greatly expands the potential applications of steam power. Applications could include pneumatic guns, rockets, marine vessels, piston engines, pneumatic fracking, and other pneumatic devices. Because the system does not require a large conventional boiler or high-volume storage of steam pending use, the system has the potential to reduce the size and expense of steam-generating equipment for certain uses.

The invention is feasible. Tungsten can be heated to approximately 3422 degrees Celsius before melting. The melting point of steel is approximately 1370 degrees Celsius. Molten steel contacting water causes violent expansion of the water into steam, such as in foundry explosions. Thus tungsten, for example, can be heated without melting to approximately 2.5 times the temperature of molten steel, more than sufficient to cause flash-boiling of a liquid such as water. The 1:1600 water-to-steam expansion ratio, moreover, compares favorably with some black powder formulations' 1:700 expansion ratio.

The invention described in this application is unique, highly feasible, not obvious, and useful.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATION AND SCOPE

The system is useful for creating pressure for various applications such as pneumatic guns, rockets, marine vessels, piston engines, pneumatic fracking, and other pneumatic devices. 

I claim:
 1. A method for rapidly generating useful pressure on demand by flash-boiling liquid, comprising: a) using a container for partly or completely containing and directing pressure; b) using a liquid to be boiled in the container; c) using a super-heated object within the container to flash-boil the liquid within the container. 